Watching the Moon
by MoonLita26
Summary: Kai wanted his summer to be filled with the tranquility that only a village from the days of past could offer. And yet here he was, tangled into a web of the darkest of secrets the town had to offer. Fighting a battle that isn't your own is easier with friends by your side, unless the whole war is their fault. AU -abandoned-
1. Hot Summer Day

The sun was shining over the stony path ahead, filling the air with warmth and golden light. The birds are chirping melodious tunes and make for a natural concert. Flora in many different shades of green wave in unison with the slight breeze rolling with the country road. It is a scenic and beautiful summer day, perfect for a dream summer vacation.

At least that's what my friend Jay Walker had thought. He decided that our summer would be beat spent in some remote country village surrounded by woods, that have been rumoured to have never been crossed. Why? Because they're just that thick! Then again, people could have just been torn apart by wolves. I heard there are some around these parts.

Back to Jay. He invited me and two more of our friends to our little trip. One being Zane Julien, the smartest person you will ever meet. He also has the palest skin I have ever seen, so I have no clue how Jay talked him into this. This might be Zane's home town, for all I know. There's also Cole Brookstone, a strong, coolheaded guy with lots of cooking experience but none of the talent. He has never made a decent meal. Or maybe I've missed out on the good ones.

Then there is Mr. Happiness himself – Jay Walker. If you personified optimism, Jay would be the result. Of course, he has his share of bad days, but he can always wake up tomorrow and smile, saying that life moves forward, not back. He is an amazing person, except for one thing. He is dating my sister.

As much as I think that Jay is a good person, Nya is just so much different. The only thing they share is an interest in technology. But that's not what they think, apparently. I guess that their sense of humour is similar...

"Hey! Look! Were here!" Jay yelled basically in my ear. Even so, he was right.

The small wooden houses were neatly arranged in rows and had a small garden next to each of them, filled with outlandish plants I had never seen before. The sunbeams cascaded into each window, splitting into rainbows and reflecting onto the emerald grass. And yet none of the villagers were to be seen.

"The place we rented isn't too far from here," Cole said, looking at the street sign. Even if Ninjago was slowly entering a new age of technology, the sign was still made of wood.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, before the sun sets!" Jay started to walk faster, passing me in the process. "It is only twelve thirty, we still have plenty of time left," Zane corrected. He looked like a white potato when he had that scarf and hat on. But of course, skin is more important than style. Do not take that out of context.

We walked a few minutes in an unsettling silence, until I couldn't stand it anymore: "Where is everyone? Are the legends really true and they all have been eaten by wolves?" I only got laughter as a response. Even Zane was snickering, "It may be some sort of tradition to have this 'silent hour' in the middle of the day. Who knows, maybe they're just nightowls."

"The whole town? I don't think so," I replied. "Now that you mention it, I'm also getting kind of creeped out," Jay spoke up, "but I still have to agree with Zane on this one. There isn't any wolves or something else roaming around, it's just a hot day." He may have been right on that one.

"And we're here. Settle in, because we'll be staying here for a while!" Cole pointed at the small cottage. Thankfully, that broke the awkward silence that had formed again. Jay immediately ran inside, not even realizing that the door had been open. For some reason.

"All right! Where are we sleeping?" I wanted to make sure that everything was clear with our personal space, as Jay invaded it far too often for my tastes. He once tore through my entire room, just to find some spare blades for an invention of his.

Cole nervously chuckled, "This house technically belongs to a woman called Misako. Her husband died a while back, so she had this spare house. Unfortunately, she allowed us to rent the place under one condition. We always, no matter what happens, sleep on the second floor."

"But this house doesn't have a second floor," Jay pointed out, "all it has is an attic." And as on cue, a wave of silence rolled through, while Cole nervously smiled.

"Were living in an attic all summer."


	2. First Impressions

"This blows," I dumped my bags next to the mattress I was assigned to. It was torn, almost flat and looked older than Ninjago itself. At least I didn't have to sleep on beanbags like Zane. There were only three mattresses, so Zane volunteered to sleep on the floor. Thankfully, we found a few sacks of beans in the corner of the attic.

"It wouldn't be so bad, if Cole hadn't picked an attic as our home!" Jay glanced at Cole, who was currently speaking over the phone with someone. He told us it's Misako, the woman who makes her guests sleep in the attic.

Cole finally turned around. He looked like he was completely done with all of us, and I'm pretty sure that he was. He walked up to the middle of the room and started some sort of announcement, "Misako's going to be here in about ten minutes, so make yourselves look presentable."

It was clear that he was talking to Zane. The white scarf around his neck made him look ridiculous. Then again, I didn't look much better. My hair hadn't been gelled in more than seven hours, of which most had been spent in a old and rusty bus. Literally. A good quarter of the bus was covered with rust.

"Are we going into the sunlight? If so, I refuse to remove any clothing," Zane asked. "She plans on drinking tea on the first floor, so I'm guessing that no, we aren't going outside," Cole answered after a brief moment of thinking. Jay hopped to his feet, "I hope this tea is going to be cold, because even in shade, it's boiling hot!" He proceeded to go down the wonky stairs, each step causing a creaking noise.

I followed him, taking a closer look of the pictures next to the stairs. There were three in total. One was of a woman with brown hair, and two men, one with blonde, the other with brown hair. The one with brown hair looked smiled like he was ready to kill a puppy, while the other barely smiled at all. The woman was the only one with a 'normal' smile.

The next photo was of the same woman and brown haired man, though their hair colour was gone. An unsettling feeling came over me when I looked into the man's eyes. I couldn't put my finger on what had me on my toes, but it was certainly there.

The last picture seemed out of place. It didn't look like it was taken years ago, as it featured a small child wearing a black hoodie. He had blond hair, so I figured there was some sort of love triangle between the three people seen in the other paintings.

A loud thud caught my attention. Jay had already dropped something. "What are you doing? I get that you don't like sleeping upstairs, but you don't have to break anything," I sarcastically asked him. Jay smirked, holding a teapot, "And you don't?"

"I wouldn't break her teapot. I would take it out on the tree next to her house," I replied, "By the way, why does Misako has such an obsession with tea?" The cupboards were filled with cups, pots and many, so many, types of tea. The teapot that Jay knocked over was one of five, each different. Maybe she was a tea fanatic? This village seems kind of weird already...

I was ripped away from my thoughts by a silent knock on the door. Without even bothering to wait for a reply, the person behind the doors opened them. They slowly entered and greeted us, "Good morning, I hope you are comfortable here."

It was the woman from the picture, but this time she looked much more unhappy. And yet she tried to hide it with a mellow smile. Her clothing looked as if she was an archaeologist or something. I wonder why did she even live in this town. It doesn't have the longest history or whatnot.

Zane and Cole entered the room simultaneously. Cole politely smiled upon seeing the old woman.

"Good morning to you too, Misako."


	3. Red Flags

Everyone except for Cole and Misako just stared at her. She chuckled and went up to the table, "It is wonderful to finally meet you all. My name is Misako and I, with the help of Wu, run a tea shop around these parts."

There were no awkward pauses, as Cole immediately replied, "Good to know. I'm Cole, the person who rented this place. Everything is going great, though we are a bit sceptical of the fact that we have to sleep in the attic."

Her bright smiled faded the second he finished talking. She sat down at the table and began her speech, "This is for your own safety. As you might already know, this town has been deemed 'The Town of Wolves', but you will soon learn the _other_ dangers lurking in the shadows. And I mean it literally. About a third of the townsfolk consider themselves nocturnal. Don't get involved with them."

Her words lingered in the air like thick smoke. Finally, I spoke up, "Cole, did you seriously lead us to a town full of criminals?" Misako briefly smirked at the statement, "That's one way to call them. I'll meet you boys around. For now, I have a shop to run. It was nice to meet you." A moment later the door closed, leaving everyone in the room very confused.

"Is this place like, haunted, or something?" Jay stretched out every word. "Not exactly," Zane replied, seemingly unfazed by the unsettling situation. "Care to explain?" I looked directly at him with a questioning glare.

He stood up and calmly answered, "It would be better, if I just show you. Shall we spend the evening in the nearest restaurant? I'm sure you all are exhausted by the journey here." I just stared at him, he stared at me, Jay stared at us and Cole stared outside the window.

"I think the tiredness is starting to mess with your head, Zane," I said, climbing up the wonky stairs. Cole followed up, "Kai's right. We should take a rest. We'll find a café in the evening. Most people are 'nocturnal' anyway." Jay silently agreed, while Zane started making tea. He can be so weird sometimes.

I fell straight on my mattress, not caring about a blanket. It was too boiling to even think about such a torture device. I couldn't even properly close my eyes. And my friends said I had the best heat tolerance. What was wrong with this town?

"I think I found another reason why Misako is not normal," Jay squeaked, lying on his mattress like a deflated balloon. If Misako was to be considered 'not normal' then I can't even imagine what the rest of the town was like.

"And what would that be?" I dully asked. Jay could talk for hours on end, so it was no surprise that he'd continue talking, even if everyone tried to take a nap. Except for Zane. I'm pretty sure that I could hear water boiling on the first floor.

Sometimes I thought that he wasn't even human. Unnaturally pale skin, complicated language and no tiredness or problems with heat. Maybe he was a robot or something. Or maybe he spent too much time around technology in general. He did aspire to become a scientist at Borg Industries.

Why did I have him as a friend? Because I was friends with Jay. Why was I friends with 'motormouth', as Cole tended to call him? Because he was my sister's boyfriend. Why was he my sister's boyfriend? I still haven't found a single person able to tell me the answer. It's is still considered one of the 7 Great Wonders of the World.

With this deep, philosophical question circling around in my thought, I slowly drifted into dreamland . Because nothing is more sleep inducing than romance.

Actually, there is. It's called sleeping in a proper bed. Why, Cole, why?


	4. Corner Weirdo

A bright orange light blinded me for a split second. Who left the blinds open? Oh wait, there were none. We were in an attic. First time sleeping in it. I would rate it five out of ten. Not too bad for an old, worn out mattress and more degrees outside than Misako's teacups.

Speaking of which, I was the last to wake up. Everyone else was downstairs, washing teacups. Did Zane seriously drink from more than one cup?

I slowly got up and made my way downstairs. Among everything that happened this morning, I forgot to check out, where the bathroom was. Thankfully, my hair gel wasn't needed. Yet.

Jay was dressed in a simple T-shirt, Cole was still wearing the clothes from earlier, and Zane had finally removed that hideous scarf. I cared about my image, but time was clearly something I didn't have the luxury of.

"So, where are we going?" Jay piped up, skipping along the street. We had gotten out of the house with minor complications, mainly me still being half asleep. Now I was fully awake because of the chilling gusts of wind rolling through the streets now and again. The temperature gap between day and night made itself clear.

"We are heading to a popular place under the name Chen's Noodle House. It may not be the healthiest or necessarily best option, but I wasn't able to locate a better option anywhere close to us," Zane rambled. Cole's eyes lit up, while Jay's smile continued to grow. Even I smirked. The place wasn't one of the best, but for a small talk like this, it was very handy.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached our destination. Even if most of the seats were open, Zane had chosen a spot right in the shadiest corner of the establishment. Not counting that person next to us. They had black hair and red eyes, which were darting around the whole place, analysing anyone and everyone. He was very creepy.

Once we sat down, Zane didn't waste any time and jumped straight into explaining, "You might not believe me, but this is my hometown." He said it all with a completely calm tone in his voice, seemingly unfazed by the looks we were giving him.

Then he continued by leaning over to the stranger and tapping him on the shoulder, "I purposefully evaded you, I did not want to raise questions among my friends." The man stood up, went over to our table and sat back down again. I noticed that he was wearing a suit.

We continued blinking in silence, waiting for Zane to continue his unbelievable story. The man started to talk instead, "My name's Cristopher. I work as a programmer during the day. At night, I run an online shop. The name I use then is Cryptor." The final sentences were almost murmurs, with the man's eyes feverishly darting around the nearby tables.

"He is my cousin," Zane added, picking up a napkin, "As you can see, he's also an albino. He just does a better job at hiding it by colouring his hair." Ah, yes. The ever-present fact that Zane's hair and skin were paper-white, and his eyes were a chilling red. Though even if they are related, it shouldn't be that common, right?

A paper dove was put on the table. "The reason I left is not as complicated, as you may think. This town is dangerous. And I do not mean the 'criminals around every corner type of dangerous'. It is a 'you will never know what happens next' group representative. That is why I left. I like to keep my plans organized and simple."

Cristopher spoke up again, "I didn't leave. That concluded in me understanding the system's inner workings and opening an online store." There was no awkward silence this time, as Cole immediately responded, "System? Is this town magic or something?"

Zane softly smiled at that, averting his eyes to the folded napkin, "Do you 'believe' in magic, Cole?" Cole sat quiet, before responding, "Kind of. I'm sort of scared of anything paranormal."

"Well, that's inconvenient," Zane looked straight into his eyes. The smile had almost faded from his face, replaced by a serious expression. "What do you mean by that?" Jay asked, seeing that Cole was to stunned by the situation to even respond.

"We are vampires."


	5. 5 Packs of Tea

Jay started shaking, Cole had a horrified look in his eyes and I was just kind of frozen. Vampire? Zane? The one friend that always had a scientific explanation for everything. No. Next thing we know, Cole actually died two years ago and is a ghost. Sure.

Speaking of Cole, he stood up, preparing to leave, but Zane called after him, "Did you plan on leaving? Do you not believe me? Would you abandon food because of a secretive comrade?" A whisper could barely be heard leaving his mouth. It was something about 'not becoming your food' but I couldn't hear the whole sentence.

Cristopher stood up and briskly walked over to him, "Most supernatural beings have enhanced hearing. I would appreciate if you wouldn't further reduce the number of vampires in this town, as we are already scarce as it is." Cole flinched and waltzed back to the table. Yes, we will suffer together.

"In essence, this town holds the title of 'Most magical town in Ninjago'. It is filled to the brim with the supernatural, most notably, magic merchants. People who buy and sell different types of mahic infused objects, runes and scrolls. Coincidentally, I and the woman you rented the attic from – Misako, both fall into this category."

Zane took over from there, "Do not worry, neither me or my cousin are dangerous. Just refrain from being outside at night. And if you see anything strange or unnatural, report to me, Cryptor or Misako immediately. I will probably be off on my own for most of the time, as I have some friends I'd like to visit."

"Zane, just stop for a second." I glared at him. He almost looked frightened. "How in Ninjago can we tell, if what you're saying is true? And why do you have such a creepy person as a cousin?" I was almost yelling by the end of my questions. Cristopher's face assumed an amused look, "Do you want me to demonstrate?"

Jay squeaked, jumped up and sprinted out of the building, Cole looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack and I just stood up. The door was right there. I could walk through it and be done with this nonsense or I could help Cole not break down in public. Fine, we will suffer together.

"No. No I don't. But can you tell me what other supernatural beings exist in this town?" Zane looked at his cousin. He really hadn't been here for a while or he was an amazing actor. I'm putting my money on the former, as the guy couldn't even go through with a basic lie.

Cristopher straightened his posture and begun counting, "Vampires, werewolves, witches and wizards, ghosts and people who can drink 5 packs of tea in a single afternoon. And no, Misako's record is only 3 packs." I tried imagining the record holder's teacup collection. If Misako could cober her walls with it, then they probably had a whole tea shed somewhere.

I was distracted by my deeply important thoughts as Cole's breathing started to shake. He left the table in a hurry, leaving me alone with the vampires. So much for friendship. "You know what, I'll leave as well. I want to go on a walk or something, blow off some steam."

Cristopher raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner, while Zane just smiled. "Be careful not to break anything important." The former was confused, so Zane started to explain his wording. I used this opportunity to leave the table. Yes, I tended to get physical when angry, but it has never been that bad. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have broken the perfume bottle, but Nya should know better, if visiting a cosmetics store.

The cool air washed over me. The heat had cleared out since the setting of the sun, so a simple walk wouldn't be absolute torture. I began to make my way home. The shadows seemed longer, the environment – more hostile and the glances directed at me – more malicious. Why did Zane choose to dump the info on us in the evening. He clearly knew which town we were going to, right?

Actually, come to think of it, Cole didn't mention the town's name even once did he? Streets started to blur together. The names twisting into outlandish words, the signs pointing at walls. Was I getting scared because of some scary story, told by Zane? No, or my name isn't Kai Smith.

I bumped shoulders with someone leisurely walking in the opposite direction as me. I panicked for a few seconds, before the person turned around. A girl dressed in orange, a bright colour, compared to every shade of black I had seen so far. And the hair. It was a bright crimson, in contrast to the brown houses and streets.

"I haven't seen you around before. Most people don't have these kinds of hairstyles. Are you a tourist by any chance?" She looked at me, waiting for an answer. "Yeah, I got lost on the way here," I replied, trying not to stutter. "Has Misako finally achieved her dream of housing tourists in her old house?" The girl smiled, coming closer. Her perfume was wafting over me in thick waves.

"Follow me. I know where it is," she quickly turned around and continued walking towards her previous destination. Everything I knew this about this town screamed to ignore her help, and yet I turned around to follow her. She knew the place better than me anyways.

Besides, when has meeting new people hurt anybody?


	6. Another Warning

The apple was crunchy and very delicious. Usually, I prefer any other fruit, but Skylor bought it for me. That was the redheaded girl's name, and she avoided Chen's Noodle House like the plague. We had exchanged names and I even told her about the conditions we're stuck in for the rest of the summer. She just laughed, and said it'll be an adventure.

I did keep one thing from her. It was the ordeal with Zane. I didn't want to have that Cryptor dude after me, so I kept quiet. Knowledge about vampires was not something I was begging more of.

"I'm guessing we're here," Skylor pointed at the building across. It was run-down, greyish and boring. "Thanks, I didn't expect you to know about Misako's house." She smiled, with a glint of mystery in her eyes, "Everyone in this town knows her, or rather, her husband."

Husband? One of the guys in the pictures, I assumed. "He disappeared into the forest a few years ago. Now nobody goes there anymore," the girl continued talking. "I'm sorry for her," I whispered. Skylor's expression changed, "He was involved with the dark arts. Necromancy in particular. He was corrupted with time, and I like to think he had it coming."

Magic. First Zane, now a random person I met on the street. This town really is magical after all. "What was his name?" I asked, now eager for a continuation of the story. "Nobody remembers his real name anymore, but now people call him Lord Garmadon."

At least the guy knew how to pick titles. Skylor locked eye contact with me, saying every word in a mischievous tone, "You don't seem surprised about my mention of magic. Did Zane already introduce you to the workings of this town?" At least a dozen alarms went off in my brain. How did she know about Zane.

"We basically grew up together, so I know him, or knew him pretty well," she added, as if reading my thoughts, "You should be feel honoured to have such a good friend like him."

"I don't know, good friends don't tend to keep secrets from each other," I joked, shrugging my shoulders. She turned around and snickered, "Good night! I hope I'll see you around. Be wary of people with green eyes!" I shot one last glance at her, "Bye." What a random thing to say.

The door opened with an inaudible creak. It was pitch black, I kept tripping after every five steps. Stumbling my way up the stairs, I heard two people breathing in a slow rhythm. Cole and Jay had already fallen asleep. Unlike Zane, who wasn't even in the house. Probably hanging out with his supernatural friends.

I changed, trying to make no sound. It was harder than I imagined, as plastic bags filled with Jay's stuff were scattered on the floor. I can guarantee, at least three of those contained comic books.

I snuck down to the first floor, hoping to clean my teeth in peace. I tip-toed on the old boards, making quiet noises wherever I went. I tried opening the bathroom door, but it seemed to be stuck on something. I rattled the door again. The top was moving with the handle, while the bottom made a screeching noise.

I lowered my gaze at the corner. A large piece of something was sticking out, gleaming with a weak shine. Pulling it out was a chore. It was sharp, large and very stuck. Just when I was about to give up, it gave in, and I unwittingly flung it into the wall. Now there was a large sharp object sticking out of a wall in the middle of the night. This town had not brought anything except bad luck for me. Skylor being the exception, of course.

I pulled open the door, and a terrible scene awaited me. The mirror was completely shattered,

leaving hundreds of glass shards lying on the floor. Everything was covered in large claw marks in different sizes. Worst of all, there were bloodstains covering the floor. Some were even shaped like paw prints, large enough for a wolf.

I turned around and stormed my way back up, yelling for the pair asleep to wake up. They woke up in seconds, dazed and confused. I gestured them to follow me and hurried down the stairs. Jay yelped, brushing past the large piece of glass, "Kai, what's going on? Why are you of all people in such a panic?"

I opened the door. It would have went back to the stillness of night like before, had it not been for the tension wrapping itself around us. Cole tried to enter, but I stopped him. "Kai, we need to examine this." I shook my head, "No. We need to call Zane." Jay was shivering behind us. Not because of the cold air, bit because of the terrifying realisation in what a town we had ended up in. "The first night, and we're already in trouble. What kind of a vacation is this?" I heard him murmur behind me.

"Fine," Cole stepped back from the ruined room. When we made our way back to the attic, I pulled out my phone and dialled Zane's number. The silence wasn't calm anymore, it was crushing.

" _Kai? What is it?"_

"The bathroom mirror is shattered, there are claw marks everywhere, and there are bloody paw prints on the ground. Did I mention the window is open is open?"

" _Stay right where you are. Those are the definitive signs of a werewolf attack."_

The call ended right there.


	7. Beautiful or Deadly

Zane inspected the torn up room. Cole and Jay tried going back to sleep, but couldn't do so under such stress, so now the three of us were sitting at the table in our pyjamas, awaiting Zane's judgement. Jay was fidgeting nervously and Cole was making some calming tea.

Zane entered the room with a serious look on his face, far from the tranquil smile he usually wore. He sat down next to me and took a small cup, as if waiting for tea. "There are two major werewolf packs in this town. It seems as we were caught in the middle of one of their clashes."

Cole set down the steaming teapot on the table. "So now what? We can't move anywhere else. There isn't a single other place to stay in this town than Misako's attic." Zane straightened his neck and back. "Keep away from anyone with green eyes. That is the only way to tell if someone is a werewolf, without them changing forms. If anything strange happens again, make sure to inform me. Me and Cristopher will sort it out."

Jay glanced sideways a few times, before slipping away from the table and onto the stairs. Must have gotten exhausted from all of this nonsense. The only other person to rely on in this situation was Misako. It was her house after all. I hoped we wouldn't have to pay for the damages.

"I'll contact Misako tomorrow." Cole noted, continuing to walk up the stairs. It was just me and Zane left. "You should go to sleep, Kai. We had a hectic day, you should rest." So, just Zane then.

I fell down on my mattress. It felt like I was sleeping on a cloud, despite it's terrible quality. I heard shuffling next to me, so I turned my head to face the window. It was Zane. "Why're you here?" I mumbled through the pillow. He smiled, but didn't interrupt his routine. "Did you assume I do not require sleep? That is ridiculous, even if we are acknowledging the fact, that I am a vampire."

I would have nodded, if I wasn't for the pillow engulfing my face. "How do you put up with babysitting us? Didn't you have stuff to do? There was this one girl named Skylor, and she knew you." Zane shot me a weary look. "At least I think so. Maybe she was bluffing. I just met her, I don't know if that's the truth."

"She has not lied to you." He lied down on his mattress. "She did know me. We just grew apart with time due to her family's history. Her father is a notorious cultist." In a town, which already houses vampires and werewolves, there exists a cult. Every piece of information I learn pulls me deeper into madness. Is anybody who lives here a sane person?

"Goodnight." Zane turned to face the wall. I caught the signal and slipped deeper into the sheets. "Goodnight, Zane."

Hours passed. Moonbeams were falling straight in my eyelids, even when they were closed, a faint light disturbed my attempts to sleep. It was almost full. Only a couple of days are left until a full moon graces us. Such a beautiful view of nature will be seen on the first week of our adventure, how lovely would that- wait a second, werewolves.

How much was left, like three days? We're all going to die, aren't we? Or maybe we could hide here, in the attic, while this blows over. Is that why Misako made us sleep here? Who cares! I sure don't, because we're still going to be snuffed out anyways. Or maybe Zane can call Cryptor (not Cristopher, the guy is too creepy for his normal name) to scare them all away. Who would win in a fight, a vampire or a werewolf?

I sprung up from my bed, panting heavily. I untangled the mess of sheets above me and fumbled around in the dark, trying to reach my phone. When success finally in my hands, I turned on the light. Everyone was sleeping soundly, undisturbed by thoughts of impending doom.

I managed to get myself to Zane's laptop, the only place with an internet connection at midnight in a old-timey town. This would mark the first time I used the computer's calendar. This also marked me being terrified at what is to come. Two days. And then the sun will set, revealing a beautiful, round, deadly moon.

I slumped back into my bed. I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, was I?


	8. Too Serious

I blinked. My head was on a pillow, but why? Didn't I fall asleep at the table. There was only one person with the strength and motivation to do this. "Cole! What the hell? Where are you!"

I freed myself from the covers, and a bright ray of sunshine hit my face. Stumbling upright, picked my clothing back up to examine it's likeliness of being worn today. I smelled it, and decided that the biggest issue with the bathroom attack is that I won't be able to us the washing machine. Actually, no, my hair gel is issue number one.

Cole was standing in front of me before I knew it. "Good morning, Kai. You had fallen asleep on the chair, so I brought you back to your 'bed'. I hope you don't mind." The last sentence was just asking for some sort of comeback, but my morning self couldn't come up with anything, so I stared at him with an angry look, before turning around and picking up my clothing.

"You can come downstairs, when you're finished. Jay is cooking, because I'm not good enough for you." He left the attic as soon as he said this, and I could change my clothes in peace. Which is exactly what I did.

When I walked downstairs, Jay was talking about a flying toaster, probably one of his latest inventions. "...and then it flew into the wall, without the toast, and- Hi Kai! -went Boom! The fallout was crazy." Even his way of speaking can be obnoxious.

Cole turned to me, not even bothering to listen to Jay's nonsense. "I contacted Misako, and she said the damage could've been worse, so all we have to do is tidy up a bit." He took another sip from his coffee and turned his attention to Jay.

"Guys, I think we may have a serious issue on our hands." Both of my friends turned to look at me, even Jay stopped talking. "The full moon is after two days, this one, and the next. After that, we are done for." Jay blinked a few times and looked very disbelieving. "They'll just do their weird werewolf stuff in the woods, right? Why would they come here?" I raised my voice as I was starting to get irritated. "Nobody goes into the woods!"

"Why?" Now it was Cole's response that ticked me off. Wait, neither I or Zane told them about the forest yet. Now it was my time to shine as the golden star of knowledge. "There was this necromancer named Lord Garmadon, and he disappeared into the woods years ago, so nobody ever goes there."

"Did you read urban legends on Zane's computer?"

"No, Jay! It was a serious matter! I was checking the phases of the moon! Skylor told me about Garmadon!" Cole and Jay looked at each other and Jay sweetened his tone. "Has Kai finally got a girlfriend?" Even Cole was smiling at this point. "No! She helped me find this wreck of a house when I got lost!"

"You got lost?" Cole had widened his mocking smile. I was done with this. "Didn't we have to clean up something?" Jay erupted into a bout of laughter, while Cole snickered, hiding his grin behind the coffee mug. Oh, how I would love to punch them both in the face.

"Let's finish breakfast, and then talk about work." Cole turned back to his half empty mug, still smiling. Jay had also calmed himself, he no longer sounded like a villainous mouse, cackling after an evil speech.

We sat in silence for about ten seconds, and then Jay's word tsunami came pouring in. I tuned out his story about a self-glazing waffle maker. They completely missed the point of what I had said. This will come back to haunt us eventually. That is, after two days.

At least we have time to prepare. What is effective against werewolves? Garlic, silver and a stake to the heart? Never mind, those were vampires.

Although... silver does ring a bell.


	9. Forgotten by Heroes

The black, bold letters seemed out of place on the yellow and orange facade. 'Destiny's Tools' was the shops name. Its owner – Misako. Why were we here? To get some silver, of course. Misako owned the largest magic shop in town, and both Cole and Jay agreed with my plan.

Our plan was simple. We rent some silverware and lay it all over the house. When the dangerous night is over, we return it to Misako. No hassle with hiding, running or getting killed. And Misako would probably help us with it.

We entered the shop. I felt like I had stepped into a fantasy novel. There were magical gizmos covering every wall, plants sprouting from the ground and the counter was nowhere to be seen. A modern looking wooden door in the back was the only thing to assure this was still reality.

"Good morning, Misako." Cole approached the woman. She was currently conversing with a strange, tall man, who was wearing foreign clothing and a ponytail. Even his moustache was weird. He looked at us, no malicious intent in his eyes, and yet cold shivers ran down my spine.

"What are you boys doing here?" Misako immediately turned to us, putting down the gizmo she was presenting to the man in orange. "Do you have any silverware we could borrow for a few days?" Her eyes turned to the floor and she stood in silence for a few moments, before turning around and marching into a back door.

Both parties, us and the other customer, waited in silence for approximately fifteen seconds. Damn it, Jay. "So, we're new around here. Kind of like tourists. What about you? Are you a traveller or a citizen?" His smile wavered as the man turned to him.

"A citizen. I moved here to practice magic without interruptions." His feet were tapping against the floorboards. "Why would you, people who know nothing about magic, choose this place as a destination?" So now Misako was telling everyone in town about our ineptitude. What a lovely patron.

"It was Cole's choice. He picked the town at random." I chimed into the conversation, lifting my eyes up to the stranger's level. "My name is Kai, the one in black is Cole and the loud one is Jay. Nice to meet you." He lifted his eyebrow, amused at the description of my friends. Jay's face was turning red, and he was muttering something to himself. Payback for this morning had been served.

"Then I'll give you a single piece of advice. Don't go into the woods. Especially at night. You'll be lucky if you stumble on a territorial war between werewolves, but there are other things you should keep an eye out for." This was the perfect opportunity for me to prove that Garmadon isn't some urban legend. If this guy, an actual wizard, was to agree to my claims, the problem would be solved.

"A girl I met, Skylor, told me about a necromancer called Lord Garmadon disappearing into the woods. Is that story true... what's your name?" The man smirked, in his eyes a spark of sorrow. "That would be Nadakhan. And yes, the story is true, I can attest to it."

"How come?" Cole's words seemed to have an impact on him. Nadakhan lowered his gaze. "He is a necromancer, a person who gives the dead back their lives. To test his magic out, he had to kill. One of the victims was my wife, Dilara." All air in the room went still. Even the candles didn't shake. It was as if the entire room had listened to his story.

"Alright! Here are about thirty pieces of silverware. I won't charge anything, as long as you return them all. Have a good day!" With a swing of the small doors, Misako came back, holding a bundle of neatly arranged forks and knives. No spoons, though. She must really like her tea.

Within seconds, we were outside, I was wearing a proud smile on my face, while both Cole and Jay looked at the nearest tree, worried about the hidden dangers of this town. Even so, all other emotions were overshadowed by Dilara's death. Nadakhan mention only Dilara, but there were multiple victims. It's no wonder nobody dared to go into the forest.

When we stepped back into our lovely house, Cole dropped all the silverware on the table. "So, do we just stick them on every surface on the house?" Jay's question made me think. If we put them everywhere without much thought, there would be blind spots.

"We should attach them to every door and window in the house. Preferably, where they can be seen." Cole nodded at took a third of the clustered mess on the table. "I'll secure the attic, you can worry about the first floor." Me and Jay locked eyes. We had a job to do.

Evening came before we even knew it. The first half of the day was gone, trying to locate Misako's shop, while the second half went towards finding a way to make knives stick to glass. I'd say it was an eventful day. The last few hours of our time were spent drinking tea. This town really knew, how to blend it.

"Two nights before we're put to the test. Isn't this exciting?" Jay was huddled in a mess of blankets, enjoying the hell out of this absurd situation. "Yeah, nice. Can we sleep now?" Cole, on the other hand, was taking a more realistic approach. He wanted to sleep before the 'big day' arrives.

I wonder, what would be Zane's thoughts on this?


	10. Before the Storm

Loud shouting echoed through the house. I got up, wiping my eyes, and walked down the stairs. Was some neighbour dissatisfied with our decorations? Nobody else would be up this late at night, venting about silverware.

I unlocked the door and prepared to shout. There was only one way to deal with these types. "What do you want?" I screamed at the person in front of me. For a few moments, they calmed down, but then it hit me – the person in front of me was none other than Zane. The reason I didn't recognize him was even more ridiculous than the situation I was in. None of us had ever gotten him mad enough for him to shout.

"I live here." In an icy cold tone, the answer coming from Zane assured me - he was livid. I stepped back as fast as I could, motioning for Zane to come in. He continued staring at me, until Cole's voice joined the room. "We're so sorry! We had entirely forgotten about you being a vampire."

After a few minutes of awkwardness and Jay fiddling around with the door, Zane stepped foot into the house. He didn't utter a single word, and just went to bed. So did everyone else, except for Cole. He felt responsible for disturbing Zane's vacation, so he agreed to take the silverware and dump it in front of Misako's door in a cardboard box.

As I went to sleep, only one question wandered around in my mind. What are we going to do now? Most of the weapons effective against werewolves were just as harmful towards vampires. Maybe we just had to put catnip around a few trees on the border of town. They would think there are cats and run there, leaving us safe.

With such ridiculous thoughts circling around in my mind, I went to sleep. I didn't dream that night. It was a peaceful rest. Even waking up was pleasant. Zane and Jay were chattering about technology, eliminating the threat of Jay attacking me with his flood of stories.

"Where did you put all the forks and knives?" Zane asked me, pouring himself a cup of tea. "We sent them back to Misako. What's the problem?" Jay took courtesy of answering in my place. Not that I'm complaining.

"I was planning to go to a meeting with my family for two days, or to be precise, two nights. There was no need to discard them." Me and Jay looked at each other with a blank stare. I just couldn't deal with this anymore. "What is up with you not telling us stuff beforehand! Like you being a vampire, the existence of werewolves and now this! Cole, back me up here!"

A silence overtook us all, Cole was nowhere to be seen. "Where did he go? We just sent him to Misako's shop and back." And cue Jay's freak-out. "Did you send him there in the dead of night?" Zane had raised his eyebrow so far, it might as well leave his face and float into space. Hey, that rhymed!

Since Zane's eyebrow doesn't require freezing, I answered. "He kind of sent himself there." Zane lowered his eyes and muttered something to himself, before turning to us. "Imagine what Misako thinks of is now? Sending a friend through this dangerous town alone at night-time. She probably hates us now."

"Then where is he?" Jay looked like he was in a panic. "Do not worry. Misako would never abandon a guest like that. She probably offered him a place to stay. After all, most of her customers visit at night. She has no problem, spotting an out of place person." Zane had an explanation gor everything, didn't he?

"Cole got to sleep in a normal bed!" Jay's expression changed from panic to anger. "I highly doubt that. Why don't you go and ask him yourself? I will be leaving in a few minutes anyway." Zane was calm once more. But how could he be? Cole had the luxury of an actual bed! But maybe Misako was understandable and gave him a mattress.

"Let's check!" I grabbed my phone and Jay threw his hands in the air, agreeing with me. Zane smiled at our enthusiasm. Maybe even he hated Cole's lucky break. He tends be good at hiding things. Like a secret about being a vampire.

But what does that matter now? He was drinking tea in a house, while we were walking towards Misako's shop of wonders. Jay was enthusiastic beyond comparison, in his every step, happiness and determination. I was in a simple hurry. We had to get that silverware back. Speaking about it...

A silver gleam caught my eye. It was a knife. The same kind Misako gave us. Had Cole dropped it, while walking towards Misako. But there were only a few houses in between. Then Jay stopped dead in his tracks. Then I saw it as well. Then everything became clear.

All the silverware Misako had given us was scattered on the ground, drops of blood and large claw marks dotted the ground. The trail lead down a long street, heading straight into the forest.

The werewolves had made their move.


	11. Into the Woods

"Cole!" Jay's shouting became quieter and quieter by the hour. The sun was already setting, but we didn't give up. We couldn't give up. Cole was dragged into this creepy mess of trees and bushes, and you can bet, we're going to get him out.

Jay sat down on the moss, exhausted. We had been roaming around since morning and we hadn't had a proper lunch. A couple of sandwiches thrown together in a whim. Not to mention, we didn't have anything with us that could be qualified as dinner. A few walnuts and a half empty water bottle was all we had now.

"Should we ask for Zane's help?" I was this close to giving up. There was no way we could find Cole with our own forces. Jay was a bit more optimistic. "No! At least, not yet. He has his own plans, we shouldn't bother him. Besides, werewolves are still people, they won't eat him or anything."

He's so sure about that. But what do we actually know about werewolves? They roam around in the forest, attack people with silver, have the same weaknesses as vampires. That isn't enough to formulate a fool proof plan of attack against them. Especially if they don't react to silver.

A rustle in the bushes caught our attention. They were covered with long shadows, created by the setting sun. I tiptoed towards them. If that was werewolves, I will whack them with my backpack. If not, I will still whack it with my backpack. Too much carefulness isn't going to hurt me.

A large wolf jumped up from it's hiding spot. It had black fur and emerald eyes. A werewolf! Jay yelped, paralyzed in place by fear. I grabbed the backpack and yelled at the creature. "Alright, we've found you! Now tell us, where is Cole!"

The wolf looked at me as if questioning us. Did he seriously forget about his friends capturing my friend just this night? I stood upright, attempting to scare it into caving in. It didn't work. The wolf straightened themselves and toxic green light engulfed my vision. Was it using magic or something?

When my eyes could see again, I noticed a man, slightly older then us, standing in front of me. He had bright green eyes, sickly pale skin and dark clothing. A streak of neon green ran across his shaggy, black hair. He looked at us, surprised at our accusation. "And who might this Cole be?"

"Our friend. Black hair, brown eyes, black clothing. The one you kidnapped." The guy in front of us blinked twice. "We didn't kidnap anyone, that's not our way of running things." What the hell? Not our way of running things? Is there another group of werewolves? "Then who's is it?"

"Yang's. He frequently captures civilians to use as hostages or convert into werewolves. His whole pack is centred around this philosophy. If he has captured somebody, a fight is going to break out. I need to alert Bansha about this." His explanation had descended into unknown territory for us, normal people. Jay was confused, but his fear won over. He wasn't going to interrupt the stranger's rant.

The guy looked at us and straightened his stance. "If you wish to help with your friends retrieval, I'd advise you to follow me. The Preeminent will sort out the plan." Seeing the looks on our faces, he rolled his eyes. "If your mother always told you not to follow strangers, my name's Morro. Now I am not a stranger. At least not for our purposes."

Jay cleared his throat. "If you promise to not attack us or anything. Kai has a backpack, and he can get violent, when angry." Morro's face twisted into a smirk. "I promise." Jay took on step towards him and looked at me. I sighed. There was no escaping this, was there? "Sure, I'll come along."

Morro turned around to face the darkness, from which he came. Green light covered his figure yet again. The wolf we first met was standing before us, gesturing towards the thick bushes. Jay clutched his flashlight tighter. I nodded. Morro leapt straight into the bushes, picking up the speed. That's where our track to Neverland began. No, wait, was it Wonderland this time?

After half an hour of miscommunications and waving around in the dark, we reached our destination. A circle of stones, neatly arranged in a clearing. Some were occupied by people, but some obscured the sleeping forms of animals. There was a large bonfire in the middle. It was the only source of light in the surreal setting, making the shadows longer, the suspense – heavier, and the atmosphere – darker.

For a split second, another light source joined in, but disappeared as quickly as Morro had finished transforming. This turned heads our way. Jay yelped, garnering even more confused looks from the werewolves. The attention didn't stay on us for long. All of it was redirected towards a tall woman, sitting on the largest of the stones.

Her height was not the only intimidating thing about her. She had black hair, forest green eyes and a long, black, ruffled dress with a large, green jewel resting in the belt she wore. Her expression was calm, collected, and serious. She was the type that radiated authority and power.

The woman stood up and walked towards out party, evaluating our current status. She stopped right in front of me. The woman towered over me, scanning me with her glare of evaluation. She took a step back and turned to Morro.

"So, what has Yang done this time?"


	12. Drums of War

A wave of whispers reached my ears. The question seemed to be something ordinary, as evidenced by the 'this time', and yet the tension was thick enough to touch. Jay felt it as well. He was as pale as snow, and for a nice change, quiet. Though he wasn't still, the shaking seemed to get worse by the moment.

Morro answered like a soldier to a general. "He has kidnapped an outsider visiting a village. These two are our only proof of the crime."

The woman leaned back. Her expression was unreadable for a few seconds, before she turned around to silence the mumbling people behind her. She did it with a single stare, and turned her attention back to us. "Yang's audacity baffles me. He captures an innocent bystander a night before the full moon, and expects us to let it slide."

She spun around and pointed at a lean girl sitting next to the large rock. An assistant of sorts? She was wearing a short red dress and a dark blue fur vest over it. Just like the rest, her feet were bare. "Bansha, call everyone here. We have a serious issue to discuss."

The girl's face stretched into a wide grin. She stood up and, with a single stroke, brushed all her hair back. A flash of green light took her place, and now she was a wolf. Great, as if I had forgotten that I was surrounded by werewolves. Bansha jumped up on the largest rock and let out an ear-piercing howl. Jay and I covered our ears, but nobody else seemed to be bothered by it.

After that, it was quiet. Even Morro held his breath. But then, the replies hit our eardrums. It was as if the entire forest was populated by howling wolves, and considering the rest of the townsfolk, I wouldn't be surprised.

Just a few minutes of waiting later, the bushes around the rocky circle parted, and a wolf tip-toed its way towards an unoccupied stone. Over the next ten minutes, the rest joined in. Me and Jay felt out of place. Everyone had green eyes and black hair, or was a wolf. And there were about a hundred more of them than before.

The woman in front of us took her spot on the big rock and cleared her throat. "I have called all of you here because of information that I have recently acquired. Yang has stepped over the line. He has kidnapped a visitor of this town right before the full moon. It is now or never, that we settle this feud between our packs. We will strike tomorrow night. We will establish our pack's dominance under the full moon. I declare war against Yang and his followers!"

A roar of determination surged through the clearing. I covered my ears again, but Jay cheered with them. There was a spark of enthusiasm in his eyes. He was easy to convince.

The woman looked to the shouting crowd and a faint smile formed on her lips. "Tomorrow at sunset we will meet here, ready to take the forest!" She jumped off the stone, maintaining her elegant composure. She crossed the field as people parted, letting her through.

Now the leader was in front of Morro. The sound died down and she continued to speak. "Morro, I trust you to bring back the two of them back here as well. They might want to see their friend." Morro responded by nodding. "Understood." The woman smiled.

The next words out of his mouth were addressed to us. "You have somehow managed to get on the Preeminent's good side in less than half an hour. I should applaud you, but I'll just show you the way home instead." After a few more seconds, he was in wolf form, gesturing us to follow him.

And so we did follow him.

We managed to get back home without any complications. Morro told us he'll be stopping by an hour before sunset (whenever that will happen), and ran off. We stood there for a couple of seconds and decided it would be best to just go inside.

The evening was good. We drank some tea, Jay made some instant noodles from his stash. I just ate an apple. Zane had gotten us a whole bag of fruit as an apology for leaving on such a short notice.

We cleaned our teeth in the kitchen sink and went to bed. I stared at the ceiling, rethinking today's events, until Jay voiced them all out loud.

"Did we just initiate a war?"


End file.
